Carding engine



KUNlO AOK! Aug. 18, `1964 CARDING ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l origml Filed Dec. 9, 1958 INVENTOR KUN/o AOK! M M ATTORNEY S KUNIO AOKI Aug. 18, 1964 CARDING ENGINE 3 Sheet'i-Sheet 2 Original Filed Dec. 9, 1958 INVENTOR a/v o' A d/f/ ATTORNEYS KUNlo AOKI CARDIN@ ENG Aug. 18, 1964 INE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Dec. 9, 1958 KUN/0 A BY MMV@ ATTORNEYS United States Patent() 3,144,685 GARDEN@ llNGiNE Kunio Aoki, salra, Japan, assigner to Daiwa Boseki Kahushiiri Kaisiia, tlsaka, .tapan Original application Dec. 9, 1958, Ser. No. 779,240.

Divided and this application .lune 26, 195i, Ser. No,

Claims priority, application, inpan, Dec. 27, 1957, .i2/32,788; .lune 27, 1958, .3S/18,011 S Claims. (Cl. iSv-165) This invention relates to improvements in a carding engine. This application is a division of application Serial No. 779,240, led December 9, 1958, now forfeited.

In the carding engines that were hitherto commonly used the bers fed from a feed roll were taken off by a licker-in, and by means of the centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of the licker-in and gravity the short bers and foreign matter such as dust, pieces of seeds, etc. leaving the peripheral surface of said licker-in were separated and as they fell out to the bottom of the carding engine were removed. On the other hand, the fibers that were carried and conveyed on the licker-in were taken olf by a contiguously located, rotating carding cylinder where they were carded.

However, in the conventional carding engine, such as described, with the mechanism of the licker-in assembly being of a construction in which emphasis was placed on the opening of the fed fibers and the prevention of the falling out of the long fibers, while there was the advantage that the loss of the long bers was small, the mecha-v nism operated, on the other hand, to prevent the falling out of the foreign matter contained in the material fibers. In consequence, with the bers not having foreign matter completely removed therefrom before being transferred to the carding cylinder, the foreign matter would interfere with the carding action of the card of the cylinder and flats so as to reduce the carding effectiveness. Thus, a lowering in product quality could not be avoided.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a carding engine possessing good carding action which thoroughly removes foreign matter of various weights and short fibers contained therein from the fibers, and moreover which has an exceedingly small loss of long fibers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carding engine in which the speed of rotation of the licher-in can be raised Without a concomitant loss of the long fibers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description given hereinafter.

The objects and advantages, as hereinabove described, of the present invention is achieved by a carding engine the construction of which comprises a carding cylinder, a licker-in adjacent said carding cylinder, a suction means below and between said licher-in and said carding cylinder and having a periphery closely adjacent said carding cylinder and said licker-in with the closely adjacent portions of said licker-in, suction means and carding cylinder at the apexes of a triangle, said suction means comprising a moving endless surface member having a plurality of apertures in the wall thereof, a vacuum box ixedly mounted within said moving endless surface member, saidv vacuum box having at least one opening therein, said opening extending in the peripheral direction of saidvmoving endless surface member atleast along a portion of said 3,l44,685 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 moving endless surface member land opening outwardly of said moving endless surface member toward said licher-in, an exhaust fan connected to said vacuum box, an upper casing covering at least the upper portions of said licher-in, an under casing covering at least a portion of said suction means and a part of the underside of the licher-in and having an opening at least between said licker-in and said suction means, and a plurality of substantially vertical walls below said licker-in and including a front wall remote from the suction means, a rear wall between said front wall and the suction means, and two side walls between said front and rear walls, said walls substantially completely enclosing an air space in communication with said licker-in, the front wall having an opening therein at the top thereof for admitting an air stream into the top of said air space.

In order that the invention can be more readily understood, the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a sectional view showing the essential parts of the carding engine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line Il--II of FIG. 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrow.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views similar to FIG. 1 showing other embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts.

As is known, generally a carding engine is constituted by a feed table 1, a feed roll 2, a licker-in 3 clothed with a saw tooth wire 3a, a carding cylinder provided with revolving flats 4a and a doffer roller (not shown).

In the present invention, however, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper part of the licher-in 3 and a part of the upper portion of the carding cylinder disposed adjacent to said licker-in 3 are covered with an upper casing S, and the undersides of said licker-in 3 and the carding cylinder 4 at that part where they form a triangular space below the point at which they are adjacent to each other are covered respectively with under casings 6a and 6b along their peripheral surfaces, the under casings being spaced slightly from the peripheries of the carding cylinder and licker-in.

The under casing 6a of the licker-in 3 has in a suitable place therein an opening 7, the width of Which is about equal to that of the licker-in 3; and in this opening 7. a perforated moving endless surface member 8 is provided in such a fashion that its peripheral surface is adjacent to that of the licher-in 3.

On the other hand, below the part of the licker-in 3 not covered by the under casing 6a there is provided an air chamber 9, which is enclosed by a front Wall 9a, a back Wall 9b and two side walls (not shown).y Except for an air inlet 10 provided in the front wall 9a, this air chamber 9 is substantially closed on all four sides. The part of the underside of the licker-in 3.not covered by the under casing 6a faces the air chamber 9. The leakage of the air streamflowing through the air chamber is prevented by connecting the back wall 9b of the air chamber 9 with the under casing 6a at a suitable place that is at least slightly closer to the air chamber 9 than the opening 7 in said under casing 6a.

In the peripheral surface of the perforated moving endless surface member 8 are provided numerous perforations 11, and in the inside of the perforated member a suction compartment 12 is provided. This suction compartment has an opening 12a, which opens within the limits of the opening 7 of the under casing Y6a towards the point where the perforated moving endless surface member 8 comes most closely adjacent to the licher-in 3, or a point slightly towards the air chamber 9 from said lastmentioned point. The air of the suction compartment 12 is exhausted by means of an exhaust fan 14 via a duct 13.

While the suction compartment 12 that is provided inside the perforated moving endless surface member 8 and its suction mechanism may be of any convenient design, an example thereof will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

In FIG. 2 the opening 12a which opens towards a part of the interior peripheral surface of the perforated rotary cage 8 communicates at both its ends with tub-like suction compartments 12. One end of each of the suction compartments 12 opens into a duct 13', and the two ducts 13', 13 on both ends of the perforated rotary cage S combine into a duct 13 which connects with the exhaust fan 14. Therefore, the air which has been sucked into the openings 12a of the suction compartments 12 from the numerous perforations 11 of the perforated rotary cage 8 is exhausted by means of the exhaust fan 14 via the suction compartments 12, 12, the ducts 13', 13 and the duct 13.

The suction compartment 12 is secured to a stationary shaft 20, and this stationary shaft 20 has a handle 21 secured thereto. Although not shown in the drawings, the handle 21 has a curved slot provided therein. When by manipulation of the handle 21 the shaft 20 is turned and in consequence the opening 12a of the suction cornpartment 12 has been set at the desired position, a screw 22b fitted to a stud 22a which passes through the curved slot in the handle 21 is tightened. By this means, the opening 12a of the suction compartment 12 can be set at the desired position by manipulation of the handle 21.

The perforated rotary cage 8, on the other hand, is supported by radial arms 24, 24', the radial arm 24 being secured to a rotating shaft 28 which is axially aligned with and rotatable relative to the aforementioned shaft 20 and the radial arm 24 being rotatably mounted on the shaft 20. When the rotating shaft 23 by means of a suitable power source (not shown) the perforated rotary body 8 is rotated. In FIG. 1 this perforated rotary body has been shown as a cage roller.

When the carding engine shown in FIGS. l and 2 is operated, and the exhaust fan 14 is actuated, an air stream is set up along the underside of the licker-in 3 flowing from the air inlet towards the opening 12a of the suction compartment 12. This air stream, which is finally exhausted by the exhaust fan 14, has a direction of flow that is in the same direction as the rotation of the licker-in. The greater part of the fibers of the material fibers fed from the feed roll 2 is caught by the saw tooth wire 3a of the licker-in 3 and is conveyed thereon, whereas the dust, pieces of seeds, and other foreign matter, if they are of sutiicient mass, are separated from the fibers by gravity and the powerful centrifugal force of the licker-in 3 and fall out to the bottom of the air chamber 9. On the other hand, those minute foreign matter particles of relatively light weight and short fibers not readily caught by the saw tooth wire 3a as well as a part of the long fibers fioat in the air stream, and fiow along the underside of the lickerin 3 together with the greater part of the fibers that are held on the saw tooth wire 3a of the licker-in 3 towards the perforated rotary cage member 8.

Then, since there is provided inside of the perforated rotary cage member 8 a suction compartment 12 and with air being sucked in through the opening 12a by the functioning of the exhaust fan 14, the air in the stream that flows in from the air chamber 9 is sucked through the numerous perforations 11 and the opening 12a into the suction compartment 12; and at that time the minute particles of foreign matter and short fibers are also sucked into the suction compartment 12 through the numerous perforations 11 and are exhausted to the outside of the carding engine.

On the other hand, the long fibers that are floating in said air stream do not pass through the perforations 11 but are held on the peripheral surface of the perforated rotary cage member 8, where they are either taken off by one of the two edges k and k of the opening 7 of the under casing 6a according to the direction of rotation of the perforated rotary cage member 8, or if they pass said two edges k and k', with the suction action of the opening 7 no longer acting on them, they leave the peripheral surface of the perforated rotary cage member S; and a part of these long fibers are conveyed by means of the rotating air stream of the licker-in 3 and the remainder are caught and held on the saw tooth wire 3a of the licker-in 3 and join the fibers that were originally held on said saw tooth wire 3a and they are all transferred to the carding cylinder 4.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, as one means of controlling the intensity of the air stream fiowing along the underside of the licker-in 3, a damper 10 is fitted in the air inlet 10 in the front wall 9a of the air chamber 9. In addition, a mote-knife 15 is provided below the licker-in 3 on the underside of the lickerin facing the air chamber, spaced a distance from said licker-in 3 sufficient to permit the passage of the fibers. This mote-knife 15 positively controls the thickness of the fiber lap by means of its tip nearest to the feed table 1. Moreover, by controlling the direction of the rotating air stream of the licker-in 3 it not only functions to separate the foreign matter contained in the fibers from the fiber itself but also, as a result of the fact that the air stream which fiows in from the air inlet 10 upon colliding with the mote-knife 15 is deflected, it functions to separate the relatively heavier particles of foreign matter fioating in the air stream and cause them to fall out more effectively.

However, in the carding engine of the present invention the damper 10' fitted in the air inlet 10 and the mote-knife 15 are not indispensable.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. Except for the fact that in this embodiment the peripheral surface of the perforated rotary cage member 8 shown in FIG. 1 is clothed with a saw tooth wire 8a and no damper 10 is fitted in the air inlet 10 of the front wall 9a of the air chamber 9, the construction is identical to that shown in FIG. 1.

In this carding engine, on account of the perforated rotary cage member being clothed with a saw tooth wire 8a, the long fibers that are fioating in the air stream which flows along the underside of the licker-in 3 become caught on said saw tooth wire 3a, when said air in the air stream is sucked into the suction compartment 12 through the perforations 11 together with the short fibers and minute particles of foreign matter floating therein. Hence, there is no possibility that the perforations 11 in the peripheral surface of the perforated rotary body will become clogged. Furthermore, either by making one of the two edges k, k' of the opening 7 of the under casing 6a, for example, serrated so as to intermesh with said saw tooth Wire 8a, or by adjusting the distance between the saw tooth wire 8a and the saw tooth wire 3a of the licker-in 3 so that the two intermesh, or as a result of the suction effect of the opening 7 disappearing after the two edges k, k' have been passed, the long fibers on the saw tooth wire 8a can be completely transferred to the saw tooth wire 3a of the licker-in 3. And even in case there is a space between the saw tooth wire 8a and the saw tooth wire 3a so as to not permit their intermeshing with each other, in the carding engine of this example there is the advantage that the fibers that fioat in the air stream are first caught on the saw tooth wire 8a and then are gradually conveyed towards the carding cylinder by the rotating air stream of the licker-in.

In the invention, if it is desired to regulate the intensity of the air stream, this may be accomplished by regulating the suction of the exhaust fan 14.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 has an endless web 41 for the moving endless surface member instead of the perforated rotary cage memberS, this endless web 41 being mounted on rotating shafts 42a and 42b provided on top of the machine frame and by which the web is driven. A stationary suction compartment 43 is disposed in the space enclosed by the web 41, and the inside of the compartment is connected to the exhaust fan 14 via the duct 13. The upper portion of the web 41 projects slightly through the opening 7 of the under casing 6a so as to be adjacent to the licker-in 3 at which point it rotates in the same direction as the latter.

In this carding engine also, the minute foreign matter particles and the short iibers contained in the air stream are sucked into the suction compartment 43 from the openings provided in the web by means of the exhaust fan 14 and exhausted to the outside, whereas the long fibers remaining on the web, have a part thereof taken off by the saw tooth wire of the liker-in 3 and the rest are conveyed by the rotating air stream of the licker-in 3, so that both parts are transferred to the carding cylinder 4.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 the opening 12a of the suction is wide enough so as to extend from that point where the perforated rotary cage member 8 and the licker-in 3 are adjacent to each other to that point where the perforated rotary cage member 8 and the carding cylinder 4 are adjacent to each other. Furthermore, an opening 7 is provided in the under casing 6b through which opening 7 the perforated rotary cage member 8 cornes even closer to the carding cylinder 4 than the licker-in 3. Otherwise this embodiment is identical in construction to the carding engine illustrated in FIG. 1.

By means of this carding engine, similarly as in the case of the previously described embodiments, the minute foreign matter particles and the short bers floating in the air stream flowing along the underside of the licker-in 3 are sucked into the suction compartment through the numerous perforations of the perforated rotary cage member 8, whereas, on the other hand, the long fibers oating in said air stream are caught on the cage roller 8. A part of these long bers are then conveyed by being held on the saw tooth wire 3a of the licker-in 3 while the rest are conveyed by the rotating air stream of said perforated rotary cage member 8, following which both are transferred to the carding cylinder-the former at the point at which the licker-in 3 and the carding cylinder 4 are adjacent to each other and the latter at the point where the perforated rotary cage member 8 and the carding cylinder are adjacent to each other.

On the other hand, the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 has an identical construction to that shown in FIG. 5, except that the peripheral surface of the perforated rotary cage member 8 is clothed with a saw tooth wire 8a. In this carding engine the long fibers floating in the air stream get caught on the saw tooth Wire 8a, and a greater part thereof is conveyed by the saw tooth wire 8a and is transferred to the carding cylinder 4 at the point where the perforated rotary cage member 8 and the carding cylinder 4 are closest. In this embodiment, naturally, it will be understood that since the long fibers floating in the air stream are caught on the saw tooth Wire 8a the numerous perforations 11 are not clogged, and that the minute foreign matter particles and short bers contained in the air stream are sucked into the suction compartment 12 through the perforations 11 and are exhausted to the outside of the system.

While various embodiments have been shown and described herein, these have been given merely for purpose of illustration, and it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications are possible Without departing from the spirit of the invention. It should however be understood that any and all modifications as embraced by the appended claims are included within the scope of the present invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A carding engine, comprising a carding cylinder, a

licker-in adjacent said carding cylinder, a suction means below and between said licker-in and said cardingcylind'er and having a periphery closely adjacent said carding cylinder and said licker-in with the closely adjacent 'portions of said licker-in, suction means and carding cylinder at the apexes ofa triangle, said suction means comprising a moving endless surface member having a plurality of apertures in the Wall thereof, a vacuum box xedly mounted within said moving endless surface member, said vacuum box having at least one opening therein, said opening extending in the vperipheral direction of said moving endless surface member at least along a portion of said moving endless surface member and opening outwardly of said moving endless surface member toward said licker-in, an exhaust fan connected to said vacuum box, an upper casing covering at least the upper portions of said licker-in, an under casing covering at least a portion of said suction means and a part of the underside of the licker-in and having an opening at least between said licker-in and said suction means, and a plurality of substantially vertical Walls below said licker-in and including a front wall remote from the suction means, a rear Wall between said front wall and the suction means, and two side walls between said front and rear walls, said walls substantially completely enclosing an air space in communication with said licker-in, the front Wall having an opening therein at the top thereof for admitting an air stream into the top of said air space.

2, A carding engine, comprising a carding cylinder, a licker-in adjacent said carding cylinder, a suction means below and between said licker-in and said carding cylinder and having a periphery closely adjacent said carding cylinder and said licker-in with the closely adjacent portions of said licker-in, suction means and carding cylinder at the apexes of a triangle, said suction means comprising a rotating cage member having a plurality of apertures in the wall thereof, a vacuum box xedly mounted within said rotating cage member, said vacuum box having at least one opening therein, said opening extending in the peripheral direction of said rotating cage member at least along a portion of said rotating cage member and opening outwardly of said rotating cage member toward said licker-in, an exhaust fan connected to said vacuum box, an upper casing covering at least the upper portions of said licker-in, an under casing covering at least a portion of said suction means and a part of the underside of the licker-in and having an opening at least between said licker-in and said suction means, and a plurality of substantially vertical walls below said licker-in and including a front wall remote from the suction means, a rear wall between said front wall and the suction means, two side walls between said front and rear walls, said Walls substantially completely enclosing an air space in communication with said licker-in, the front wall having an opening therein at the top thereof for admitting an air stream into the top of said air space, and a mote-knife in said air space beneath said licker-in and extending to a point closely adjacent said licker-in.

3. A carding engine as claimed in claim 2 in which said under casing extends substantially completely around said suction means and has an opening therein between said carding cylinder and said suction means.

4. A carding engine as claimed in claim 3 in which said rotating cage member is a cage roller, and the opening in said vacuum box extends in the peripheral direction along the portion of said suction means from a point which is adjacent said carding cylinder to a point adjacent said licker-in.

5. A carding engine as claimed in claim 3 in which said rotating cage member is a cage roller and has saw teeth thereon.

6. A carding engine as claimed in claim 2 in which said casing extends substantially completely around said suction means and has an opening therein only between in said vacuum box opens toward said licker-in.

7. A carding engine as claimed in claim 6 in which said suction means has saw teeth thereon.

8. A carding engine as claimed in claim 1 in which said under casing extends substantially completely around said suction means and has an opening therein only between said licker-in and said suction means, said moving endless surface member being an endless web having apertures therein, and said suction means further comprising a pair of rollers around which said endless web runs, the opening in said vacuum box being along one of the runs of said web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,079,407 Hess May 4, 1937 2,600,969 Clapperton June 17, 1952 2,983,966 Brown et a1 May 16, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,723 Great Britain of 1910 186,441 Great Britain (')rt` 5 197.7. 

1. A CARDING ENGINE, COMPRISING A CARDING CYLINDER, A LICKER-IN ADJACENT SAID CARDING CYLINDER, A SUCTION MEANS BELOW AND BETWEEN SAID LICKER-IN AND SAID CARDING CYLINDER AND HAVING A PERIPHERY CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID CARDING CYLINDER AND SAID LICKER-IN WITH THE CLOSELY ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID LICKER-IN, SUCTION MEANS AND CARDING CYLINDER AT THE APEXES OF A TRIANGLE, SAID SUCTION MEANS COMPRISING A MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES IN THE WALL THEREOF, A VACUUM BOX FIXEDLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER, SAID VACUUM BOX HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING THEREIN, SAID OPENING EXTENDING IN THE PERIPHERAL DIRECTION OF SAID MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER AT LEAST ALONG A PORTION OF SAID MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER AND OPENING OUTWARDLY OF SAID MOVING ENDLESS SURFACE MEMBER TOWARD SAID LICKER-IN, AN EXHAUST FAN CONNECTED TO SAID VACUUM BOX, AN UPPER CASING COVERING AT LEAST THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID LICKER-IN, AN UNDER CASING COVERING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SUCTION MEANS AND A PART OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LICKER-IN AND HAVING AN OPENING AT LEAST BETWEEN SAID LICKER-IN AND SAID SUCTION MEANS, AND A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WALLS BELOW SAID LICKER-IN AND INCLUDING A FRONT WALL REMOTE FROM THE SUCTION MEANS, A REAR WALL BETWEEN SAID FRONT WALL AND THE SUCTION MEANS, AND TWO SIDE WALLS BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS, SAID WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY ENCLOSING AN AIR SPACE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID LICKER-IN, THE FRONT WALL HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN AT THE TOP THEREOF FOR ADMITING AN AIR STREAM INTO THE TOP OF SAID AIR SPACE. 